Could someone please give me step-by-step instructions on how this works? I need to know absolutely every detail. I will only be using the Shard Transfer Shield tokens but I have no clue about how to go about it. I haven't claimed the shields yet, as I don't know what ones I want/need. I have more questions than knowledge on the subject. Do I need a second token to come back to Sonoma or is there some kind of automatic return timer on the first token (did that mess make sense?) Is there any need for a Sonoma Transfer Shield? Really, a step-by-step tutorial would be greatly appreciated.

Basically, you need a "set" of shard shields. You need to have Sonoma to be able to return, and then whatever else you want.

Pick a character that you can afford to be without for the length of the transfers. Also, you will be removed from your guild when you transfer.

You can only take what is in your backpack and bank box. If you have pets in the stable they will come, but you may not take any loaded packies. Pets must be stabled.

I find it helpful, if I can afford the tokens, to leave extra Sonoma tokens in the bank box of a designated character on the shards I visit. That way if a transfer is needed, sometimes I can get away with not having to send my shard transfer character to that other shard. However, it takes a while to accumulate enough tokens to be able to do this. Once I was able, I got a couple extra Sonoma shard shields to help do this, as I do try to help the guild out with transfers at the holidays and it ends up being a lot of items and multiple transfers, which quickly uses up all the tokens I have been saving up.

I also take gold with me, and leave it with the designated character on the shard I am visiting, in case something comes up there that I need. PLEASE NOTE: Gold must be put in a transfer account at the bank, and when you land at the new shard it automatically unloads on that shard. So say you go from Sonoma to Great Lakes, and you have 50,000,000 in your transfer acct, that you placed on sonoma. When you get to Great Lakes, you have that gold there in your bank. (it has unloaded) BUT if you are then going on to another shard, you need to put that gold in a transfer acct again before leaving the shard. I have heard of a lot of people who forgot to do this and ended up with their gold stuck where they did not want it. I've done this myself.

I also make up basic suits , and spellbooks, runebooks, and so on, and drop those on the other shards I visit with my designated character for that shard. I like to leave recalls, mark scrolls, and gate scrolls, a full LRC suit and jewels, full spellbook, and an Ethereal. Then if we get some clickie or special item like those Easter Flowers, I have a character in place on the other shard who can go collect things a lot easier. I try to put a bunch of those blue beetles in my stable, and pass those out too.

If you get multiple shields, then plan your trip so you hop from one shard to the next, pick up what you want, and then return.

You must be in an inn or a place you are friended to do the transfer. I normally do mine from the room above the Luna Bank.

Try to really pare down on what is in the bank and backpack of your transfer character so you have room to pick things up. I do find it essential to have an ethie, and rune books, as well as be outfitted in a good lrc suit and so on.

There is a 24 hour cooldown (sometimes a little more) between transfers.

Really important, DO NOT transfer close to any server down, especially Atlantic. Only transfer when you have at least two hours before the server goes down on the shard you are on and the one you are going to. Awful things happen if you don't do this. Also, if your account gets locked (this happens) and you can't log in after say two hours, then log in on another shard, and send a GM an message saying what happened. Don't do it before two hours after the transfer though. They have gotten pretty good about getting your account unlocked.

One more thing, when you place those shields, you need to lock them down, other wise they will pop back in your pack when you click them.

That is most of what I can think of to share about the shard shields. I have been using them ever since they came out, mostly for holiday items, or to pick up supplies we cannot find on Sonoma.

I would love those sets of bones. If you have a KVP rune in your PAS book, you could drop them at the KVP mailbox. The name on the building is Keepers of the Virtuous Path. Not sure they would get to me dropping in the Crafter house mailbox.

Yes, you need an open slot on the shard you are transfering to.

No, you don't need any extra stuff, just equip the character. When you land there, everything will be in a transfer crate. One box will have your "worn equipment". That is your suit and what you were wearing. The other box will have the things in your bankpack. One thing I didn't mention, is if you are close to overweight, you can choose not to unload the box with the extra items, but you can click it and remove your runebook. I always keep a rune to Luna Inn (couple spots marked as sometimes people are standing on them) and I recall to Luna Inn. Be aware that when you start to unload your transfer box, if you are overweight things can fall to the ground. People can take them. This is only a concern if you are overweight. You actually can transfer while being overweight, if you are standing over the bank in the room above Luna Inn. I do it all the time, when people give me a huge amount to transfer.

If you are going to be transferring often and a lot, you might want an extra Sonoma shield to leave tokens on other shards. If not, then just pick what you want. Atlantic isn't inexpensive, but just about everything ends up there--it is the trade center of Sosaria. As far as other ones to pick, I probably would suggest the more populated Western shards, unless you would like a Japanese shard. If so I would probably suggest Asuka or Izumo. I find LS, Chesapeake and Great Lakes to be fairly active. Some shards there is hardly anything to buy, no activity.

One thing I forgot to mention, is if you are using the method of dropping extra tokens on other shards, so you don't have to take a character to that shard to initiate the transfer, then you need to have an empty character slot back on Sonoma. I make "throwaway characters" on other shards to do this. If they are over 7 days old you can delete them. So, if moving a lot of stuff, I will send a fully loaded character from a shard back to Sonoma (assuming I have a slot open) , then once they are unpacked delete them. I mostly needed to do this when I was transferring a lot of items around Christmas for any in the guild who needed transfers, because I could easily get a full character, and not have room to go to the next shard to pick stuff up.

Also, if you have extra Sonoma tokens, you can do more round trips if you are full, so if you go from sonoma to say Atlantic and are full, and go home , if only one shield for Sonoma you need to wait 30 days to do another trip.

If you are just transferring for yourself and not doing a lot of transfers for other folks, you most likely don't need an extra Sonoma shield.

One more question (probably not the last one, either...lol), how can I find out when any given shard's server is going to go down? Is there a schedule somewhere that lists that?

I ended up just getting Sonoma, Atlantic and Great Lakes for now.

Another question comes to mind (told ya'). Do tokens build up on the shield or do I need to harvest the token every 30 days and tuck it away. In other words, if I don't take the token when it is ready, will there be two tokens on the shield after another 30 days pass? (Did you follow that?)

Once you place the Shield, it will continue to produce tokens up to 10. Then it will stop, and you need to pull the tokens off for it to continue to produce. I pull them off and keep them in a box in my house.

I find the least problems transfering if I do my transfers in the morning. I do not have a list of server down times, but Atlantic goes down a few hours before Sonoma, and several East Coast shards go down then. Then the middle shards go down, and then West Coast. Just avoid transferring late in the evening and you should be ok.

You don't have any Japanese shards or Europa or Drachenfels, but they go down at entirely different times.

Thanks. Yeah, I saw the 10 token deal when I placed the shields a bit ago. I tried it out and have a guy waiting out the return timer on Atlantic. They have a lot of fun stuff there but, as you said, they have some proud pricing, too. I did manage to snag a 1-tile soulforge while there.......among a bunch of other cool things. I ripped through the 50 mil I took with me pretty quickly.

If you found a 1 tile soulforge for under 50 million that is unheard of good fortune on Atlantic. They have been going for about 150 mil.

I have found some things on atlantic are 100X what they cost on another shard, but mostly prices are adjusted up somewhat, not to that degree. Some people make money buying things on other shards and taking them to Atlantic.

Glad you got to enjoy your first trip with the shard shields. Remember, if the account gets locked or something, don't panic. Just follow the steps to get it unlocked (happens to me a lot, but I cross shard heavily at holidays to help people get their things home)

By the way, if you ever get a rare on another shard let me know, and I can try to move it back for you. Only problem would be how to catch up in game to give it to you.

That 1-tile soulforge was only 19,999,999 gp. While I was standing there looking through other vendors, after grabbing it, three other people showed up looking for it. The guy had some awesome rares. Some I had never known even existed. His prices were VERY nice! I picked up a set of floor spikes for 2.5 mil. I thought that was a good deal, too.I dropped off some lavender nets in your mailbox. Thanks for your help!